


Feeling of Coming Home

by HomeForImaginaryFriends



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Photography, Polyamory, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 07:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13699944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends/pseuds/HomeForImaginaryFriends
Summary: Akaashi reflects on his soulmates.





	Feeling of Coming Home

Akaashi dropped his portfolio on the table carelessly before sprawling across his couch.  His flat was silent, his own breathing too loud in the empty space.  It was cold, unfeeling in an area he had once proudly held onto as his own.  He recognized it as the bad day it was but that didn’t help pull him out of the black mood he was currently toiling in.

 

Akaashi had never failed at anything before.  He had always been able to put the right amount of effort, made the most of his intelligence and pulled through.  Now when it counted, when it was about the one thing he had wanted to do his entire life, he was floundering.

 

“It’s a nice picture Akaashi but where is the feeling?”  His Professor had asked and Akaashi could not even argue.  He knew the set up of his photography was always perfect.  The composure, lighting, colors, everything made a pleasing picture to look at.

 

But they had no depth.  They were what his professors called “frame art”.  The photos that came in the frames that are meant to be agreeable, something nice to look at but nothing more.

 

Easily replaced.

 

Empty.

 

It is how Akaashi was feeling about himself at the moment.

 

At least he was also taking classes to become an accountant.  It was the agreement he had made with his parents when he choose to pursue a career in photography.  Accounting was meant to be a backup plan he never was going to need.

 

He was excelling in all his accounting classes, which felt like salt in his wounds.

 

A ping interrupted the silence.  Akaashi turned his head to stare at his phone across the room.  He had left it with his keys by the door.

 

It pinged once more, lighting up the surrounding darkness.  Akaashi hadn’t bothered to turn on any of the lights.

 

A third ping had Akaashi pushing himself off the couch with sudden annoyance.  Couldn’t he have five minutes to himself so he could wallow in self pity and doubt?  He knew it wasn’t exactly the most healthy thing to do but that was how he dealt with his problems.  Alone.  He allowed himself just a little time to feel terrible and then he would pull himself together.  He would clean his apartment, cook a proper meal, and finish his macroeconomics homework.  Once he had accomplished other things he could tackle his photography problem without feeling like a fraud and failure.

 

Another ping had Akaashi snatching his phone off the entrance table with more force than usual.  He typed in his passcode and felt something shift inside of him at the background.

 

Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo had changed it and for some reason Akaashi hadn’t switched it back to his normal background.  It was a horrible picture to be honest, blurry and with a finger covering up the top right corner but no one could call this particular picture empty.  It was practically bursting with life.

 

Akaashi had several new messages.  If they were from either of his soulmates besides Sawamura he could have more easily ignored them.  But Sawamura’s name gave him pause, made him open up his messenger app to read over his missed texts.

 

There was an overuse of caps lock and emojis from Bokuto.  Kuroo requesting pizza.  Then Sawamura.

 

**From Sawamura:**

Sorry for them, I’ve made them stop.  We would love to have you here if you’re not busy.

No pizza necessary.

 

If it had been anyone else besides Sawamura, Akaashi would not have been grabbing his keys and putting both his keys and phone into his pocket.  He hesitated, looking back at his unassuming black camera bag.  His professor had suggested taking it with him wherever he went, even if it was just out to the corner store.  Akaashi had never been one for spontaneous photography, everything he did was well thought out and planned ahead.

 

Perhaps it was time to try something different.

 

Akaashi grabbed his camera bag before he could talk himself out of it.  Most likely he would have to scold Bokuto or Kuroo for stealing it and taking far too many selfies.

 

Akaashi made his way to his soulmates house and tried not to think about much of anything on his walk there.  He was rather unsuccessful.  It was difficult to quiet his mind and whenever the topic of soulmates was brought up it felt like a general spiral down in his usually ordered thoughts.

 

Soulmates were common enough, though still treasured.  Akaashi’s own parents were soulmates, though they had met later in life.  He often wished he had met his soulmates later in life, at least in his late twenties when he would have a better understanding of himself, of his life and where he wanted to be.  Akaashi had met his soulmates when he was still a teenager.  Another problem steamed from the fact that Akaashi had three separate soulmates, all vastly different from the other.

 

Finding out Kuroo was his soulmate when Akaashi had been just 15 was shocking enough.  Life had been difficult at a new school, especially at one with such a prestigious background as Fukurodani, and becoming the first string setter almost instantly was enough pressure.  Kuroo had been a problem from the beginning, always distracting Bokuto and purposefully riling him up.  Pulling Bokuto into pranks and food fights, locking him in strange classrooms to play horror games that had Bokuto up all night with nightmares.  It would have all been fine except Akaashi had been named Bokuto’s keeper and all that responsibility fell onto him.

 

Akaashi had been surprised that Kuroo did not push the soulmate thing.  When they found out Akaashi had pulled him aside and said, as politely as he could, that he was simply not interested in a soulmate at the time and both of them had school and volleyball to worry about.  Kuroo had looked genuinely surprised before he started laughing, that high pitched cackle that put Akaashi on edge.  Kuroo had agreed and left it at that.

 

It would have been fine, Akaashi was sure, if Karasuno hadn’t revived an old rivalry with Nekoma.  Things would have been so much simpler if Kuroo had never shook Sawamura’s hand and then found out they were also soulmates.  Akaashi could have dealt with Kuroo having another soulmate, that would have solved his problem just fine.  Except Sawamura was Akaashi’s soulmate too.  And Sawamura came with news that they had a fourth amongst them, a Matsukawa from Miyagi.

 

Akaashi had almost lost his cool.  He wasn’t even sure that was possible but there he had been, staring into the soft brown and almost apologetic eyes of the Karasuno captain with Kuroo the ever present asshole hanging off of Sawamura’s shoulder, grinning like a cheshire cat at the prospect of having three soulmates.

 

It’s not as if Akaashi hated the idea of a soulmate.  It was a lovely concept and he looked forward to being much, much older and seeing the soulmark appear on his skin when he touched his soulmate for the first time.

 

It was only a twenty minute walk to his soulmates house.  A small almost shabby looking thing that leaned worryingly to the left.  The houses in this neighborhood were practically built on top of each other, with tiny fenced in backyards.  Akaashi could hear Bokuto’s loud laughter coming from around the house, but there was no side gate to get into it.  He’d have to walk through the house to go out the backdoor.

 

Akaashi pulled out his camera, telling himself he just wanted a shot of the leaning house with its windows that nearly gave it a grinning quality.  He wasn’t stalling, he was just following his professors instructions.

 

The stairs leading up to the front door were warped and uneven.  The porch creaked and groaned under his feet and Akaashi looked through his lens down at the porch mat.  It said “Don’t stop be leaving” in English.  When Akaashi had proceeded to stare at it blankly while Bokuto and Kuroo had cracked up, they had then forced him to listen to the English song on repeat until he knew every word.

 

Akaashi still didn’t think it was funny but he did like when Sawamura had stormed out of his room after the 100th replay, having been woken up from his much needed nap, and tried to suffocate them both with a pillow.  Sawamura had looked up at Akaashi in surprise as he had caught Bokuto in a stranglehold with his thighs while somehow also choke holding Kuroo with his arms.   _“Hello Akaashi, are you staying for dinner?  I’m cooking.”_  He had said as if physically holding down to fully grown and athletically built men wasn’t even an issue.

 

Akaashi stepped into the house, saying a quiet ‘pardon the intrusion’.  He could stand outside and knock for hours and no one would hear him.  He had an open invitation to the house but he still feel awkward just walking in.

 

The inside of the house was nothing like Akaashi’s own flat.  It was clearly lived in by multiple people.  Clothes strewn across furniture, open books and magazines laying about, a sink piled high with dirty dishes.  Akaashi stopped to take pictures of each thing.  The popped bean bag chair that slowly leaked little balls every time someone sat in it.  The built in bookcase full to the brim with books, movies, games, and CDs.  There were pictures everywhere too.

 

Akaashi felt himself turn red as he noticed one of his own framed right on the wall, over the spot he knew a big hole was.  Kuroo, Sawamura, and Matsukawa had ended up at the same university and they had all played on the team there.  Akaashi had shown up to their last game, their team had gotten farther than anyone expected.  Akaashi hadn’t been surprised, they had two former captains on the team and Matsukawa had been a starter on a powerhouse in Miyagi.  They had ended up losing and Akaashi had taken a picture when his three soulmates had turned to each other.  Kuroo and Matsukawa were looking down at Sawamura, who had been the captain at the time and trying to rally his team.  There had been such a fondness on their faces, sad but proud.

 

Akaashi turned away from the picture and moved to the kitchen, where there was a sliding door that led to the backyard.  He stopped at the opening, hiding in the darkness of the house as he looked out at the scene before him.

 

Bokuto was there, which wasn’t much of a surprise.  He had managed to be apart of Japan's team, went to the olympics and brought home the bronze.  While he had been training he had landed wrong and messed up his knee.  He needed surgery and extensive rehab.  Akaashi had expected his old captain to be devastated, but Bokuto had handled it well.  That bum knee was propped up in his own soulmates lap, and perhaps he was apart of the reason Bokuto was doing so well.

 

Azumane was a quiet, gentle giant and somehow he suited Bokuto quite well.  He was seated in the grass next to Bokuto, gently rubbing above Bokuto’s knee.  Azumane still lived in Miyagi, Tokyo being just a little too much for the soft man to handle.  Though he visited often, for Bokuto and his old captain, Sawamura.  Bokuto had a towel spread out in front of him and it took Akaashi a moment of head tilting and squinting to see that Bokuto was intensely watching a tutorial on his phone of how to make a flower crown.  There were all sorts of lovely flowers spread out on the towel.  Azumane wore what must be a first try, though it was coming loose in his long hair, he looked content as Bokuto tried again.

 

Across from them sat Kuroo and Sawamura.  Kuroo had somehow managed to scoot himself down far enough that he sit in between Sawamura’s legs, leaning his back to Sawamura’s front.  Sawamura’s chin was resting atop Kuroo’s head and really, they were both far too big for that to look comfortable or anything but slightly awkward.  But Kuroo looked so pleased, his long legs spread out in front of him and Sawamura looked happy.

 

Matsukawa sat close to them.  Akaashi wondered if the other man ever felt like a third wheel when around Kuroo and Sawamura, who seemed to have the whole soulmate thing worked out.  But then Sawamura was turning his head and Matsukawa was leaning down to listen to whatever Sawamura had to say.  A slow smile spread across Matsukawa’s usually passive face, lighting up his features and making him almost boyishly handsome as he laughed and pressed his forehead down into Kuroo’s shoulder, who grinned.

 

Akaashi brought his camera up to his eye once more, making sure the flash was off so he wouldn’t disturb the scene playing out in front of him.  He thought the pictures would turn out blurry and important details would be lost because of the low lighting, but this- this scene was full of life.  Full of feeling and emotion, of depth.

 

Akaashi adjusted the lens.  Sawamura was wearing a shirt with the sleeves cut off and with his arms wrapped around Kuroo Akaashi could see the twisting flowers and vines that made up his soulmark.  It was a replica of the one Akaashi had spreading across his side and ribs, twisting up his shoulder.  Kuroo was bundled up in a maroon sweater with Matsukawa’s companies logo on it.

 

Putting the camera away, Akaashi wasn’t sure if he’d ever show anyone else those pictures.  They felt close to him, far too intimate to have plastered up on a wall for his professors and classmates to judge.

 

“Akaashi.”  Sawamura greeted warmly, a too bright smile lighting up his whole face in a way that nearly had Akaashi tripping over his own feet as he made his way over to them.

 

“Where’s the pizza?”  Kuroo asked, though his grin betrayed him for the snot he was.  Sawamura squeezed Kuroo’s side, making him squawk indignantly as Akaashi took a seat next to them., sharing a small smile with Matsukawa.

 

“Hey hey hey ‘Kaashi!”  Bokuto greeted enthusiastically.  “I’m making flower crowns for everyone!”  The only one wearing a flower crown was Azumane and his was falling to pieces but Akaashi choose not to point that out.

 

“That’s nice Bokuto.”  Akaashi said, earning a beaming grin before Bokuto hunched back over his phone with renewed vigor.  Azumane smiled even as one of the flowers came loose and hung in his right eye.

 

“You brought your camera?”  Kuroo smirked salaciously.

 

“I normally would not do nudes, but for you I will.”  Matsukawa deadpanned, though Akaashi could see the warmth in his eyes and how the corner of his lips turned upwards.

 

“I think they’d be quite tasteful.”  Kuroo said, turning towards Matsukawa who nodded thoughtfully.

 

“Makki and I went to an exhibit and one girl did a photoshoot with ropes.”  Matsukawa informed them.  “There was stuff for masks and whips-”

 

“What-” Sawamura sighed before shaking his head.  “Did you purposely go to this type of exhibit?”

 

“No, took us half way through until we realized what it was.”  Matsukawa scratched his cheek absently, looking away and if Akaashi had not known him for so long then he wouldn’t have noted the slight embarrassment.  “It was kind of interesting though.  Someone asked if I would pose for them.”

 

“Issei!”  Kuroo gasped though he was laughing.

 

“I said no, but if Akaashi needed me for that I wouldn’t be opposed.”  Matsukawa threw it out casually but Akaashi could still see the pink on the tip of his cheeks and his red ears hidden mostly by his thick curly hair.  It was then that Akaashi realized he hadn’t shared much of his photography with his soulmates, with anyone really.

 

“You’re into rope stuff?”  Kuroo asked, thoughtful even as Azumane sputtered and tried to hide his very red face in Bokuto’s chest.  “We could do rope stuff!  For Akaashi’s art, of course.”

 

“Absolutely not.”  Sawamura said sternly.  “Not because I don’t want to help but a lot of work and training goes into that to make sure it’s done safely and comfortably.”  Everyone’s attention turned to Sawamura in shock.  “I work the night shift in an ER, I don’t want to talk about most of the stuff I’ve seen.”

 

The conversation devolved from there because yes, most of them did want very much to hear about everything that Sawamura’s seen.  Akaashi found himself relaxing further and truly, it was always easy when it came to his soulmates.  They never pushed for more, for him to participate or be apart of their lives anymore than he was willing to be.

 

Akaashi wasn’t sure why he fought so hard for his own independence.  Mostly he thought it was because they had never been apart of his plan.  His carefully calculated plan that involved graduating college, becoming settled into the life of a photographer, and then finding his soulmate sometime around the age of 30.

 

But listening to each of them exchange various stories from their lives made Akaashi realize he was holding himself apart for what?  For a plan he made when he was 13 that clearly wasn’t working out?  Life did not go according to plans, everyone around him had already figured that out.

 

Sawamura had wanted to be a surgeon but could only find work as the night shift at the local ER, but it turned out he loved his job.  He loved the people he worked with and the weird cases that were thrust upon him, he even did not mind the long thankless hours and the fact that his schedule was flipped with everyone else's.  He hadn’t seen himself living in Tokyo, sharing a tiny house with two soulmates he hadn’t thought about having until they were there in front of him.  No matter the long shifts or sleepless nights, Sawamura always stopped by Akaashi’s flat once a week and stocked his kitchen with groceries.

 

Matsukawa had ended up dropping out of school before finishing his degree.  He worked several different bartending jobs and he travelled with his high school friend Hanamaki every couple of months to new places.  He was a lot shier than his demeanor would portray, he loved his soulmates but in a quiet and silently supportive way.  He went to every art show and photography exhibit he heard of so he could understand Akaashi’s world a little better.

 

Kuroo had entered the world of tall office buildings and tiny cubicles.  He hated it, though he still said he looked great in a suit.  He went into a job he didn’t like every day so he could help provide money, money so Sawamura could continue his schooling and so that Matsukawa could afford to travel.  The camera that weighed down Akaashi’s neck, the one he loved and cherished more than anything in the world, had been bought by Kuroo.  It was second hand and every once and a while the film got stuck and Akaashi would have to take it apart and piece it back together.  But Bokuto had told Akaashi Kuroo had gone to just about every thrift store in Japan to find a decent enough camera for Akaashi.

 

When he was with them Akaashi never felt like the odd man left out.  He didn’t feel any sort of distance between them or awkwardness.  He felt a sense of relief, a rush of warmth and a sense of contentedness.  He wasn’t sure why he always fought it, why he had thought that accepting his soulmates meant losing apart of himself, losing his freedom.

 

“Matsukawa,” Akaashi asked, soft voice interjecting the conversation.  “Would you really let me tie you up for a photo?”  They all stared at him in shock, Matsukawa’s face slowly turner pinker until Kuroo was throwing his head back, nearly headbutting Sawamura behind him, as he let out a loud cackle of laughter.

 

“Fucks sake ‘kaashi!”  Kuroo laughed more, and slowly everyone else joined in.  Akaashi smiled secretly down at himself, feeling like himself for the first time in a long time.

 

He felt at home.

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I'm just going to write all the poly ships!


End file.
